If you’re constantly scrambling to use brown spotted bananas, this one’s for you. While bananas are notorious for ripening on the countertop, turning green to yellow to that banana-bread-ready brown hue sometimes in a matter of days, plenty of fruits are picked at peak ripeness and don’t ripen once they come off the tree.
Unlike avocados, peaches or other fruits that we typically buy hard (underripe) and wait to reach perfect ripeness at room temperature, plenty of fruits are fresh when you buy them, and often maintain that freshness for several days, which can help with meal planning, snacking, and more. Called non-climacteric fruits, this category of fruit cannot ripen once picked, though it still will go bad after its window of freshness passes. Generally, most of these fruits can be kept in the refrigerator for a week or more before spoilage starts.
Here are a few non-climacteric fruits to consider buying:
Strawberries
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What you see is what you get with strawberries, which is why it can be beneficial to taste a sample at the store. Strawberries don’t ripen once they’re picked, and can last for days in the refrigerator with proper care.
Cherries
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Tasting a cherry right out of the bag is sometimes frowned upon at the supermarket, but again, trying before you buy is the best way to ensure a bag of cherries is worth your money. Cherry season typically runs May through August, and cherries won’t ripen once picked. These nutritious fruits can last for up to a week in the fridge in a sealed jar.
Lemons
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A bowl of lemons may look nice to display, but refrigerating lemons is the best way to preserve these fruits that are ripe as soon as they’re picked. Let them have plenty of air in the fridge to breathe, and once they start to harden, that’s a sign they’re about to be past their prime.
Oranges
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All citrus is, in fact, non-climacteric, which is why winter citrus can stay good in the fridge for weeks or even months through the season. Just like lemons, give your oranges room to breathe, and if the rind starts to dry out, enjoy the fruit promptly.
Grapes
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If you’ve ever heard a winemaker discuss their harvest practices, you know why it’s so important to pick grapes at their desired ripeness—on the vine, they grow sweeter and sweeter, before drying out and becoming something that resembles raisins. The state that they’re picked in is the state they’ll be enjoyed in. Again, a taste is a great way to know about the bunch you’re buying. Wash and store grapes in a ventilated bag to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
Pineapple
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The pineapples you get at the store are ready to eat! They’re fresh as soon as they’re harvested, and some specialty companies will even overnight their pineapples from Hawaii to the mainland. A fresh pineapple can live on the counter for a few days, or up to a week in the fridge before it’s sliced.
Cucumber
It may not be super juicy or sweet, but yes, cucumber is a fruit. And unlike their similar savory fruits—tomatoes and peppers—cucumbers do not ripen once they’re picked. Ripe cucumbers have a dark green exterior, and can last in the crisper drawer for weeks.
Watermelon
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Watermelons are ideally harvested at the peak of their juiceness and sweetness, so picking a ripe one is important. A ripe watermelon should feel heavy for its size, and when you tap it you should hear a nice hollow sound. The bottom should also have its signature creamy yellow spot, known as a field spot, to indicate it was picked at its peak.
